New girl, new love
by freakout1234
Summary: Diana Roth is new to Hogwarts, and she isn't exactly the school's new eye candy. But when she starts to develop feeling for a Marauder, will his big secret ruin the relationship? Completed.


The dreary landscape put Diana Roth into a trance as she glared out the Hogwarts Express window. Britain's farmland certainly wasn't as alluring as the mountains of her old home, Colorado. She was a 6th year transferring from Vraddlelin, another magical school far out in the United States. Her thoughts scrambled as she sat awkwardly next to two Hufflepuff girls raving about the newest quidditch hero. She of course had studied all there was to know about Hogwarts, from the four famed houses to the squib janitor that lives on campus. A book in her hand, she snuggled up next to the wall and tried to tune out the bothersome ambience. She sighed, tossing the novel onto the seat. Not even a book could tame her fears. Diana loved Vraddlelin, and she was devastated when her parents announced they were moving to Britain. Her parents were muggles, dwelling in the business world (a rather odd career, according to most wizards). She detested the fact they just _had _to take a new business opportunity in London, causing her to leave her whole entire world behind. Her muggle best friend, Blaire, didn't have any contact with the wizard world, which would most likely impact their friendship. Some say distance makes the heart grow fonder, but Diana knew that distance only would cause their friendship to suffer. Her thoughts were disrupted by distinct whispers coming from a seat behind her.

_Isn't that the new girl?_

_She looks shy. Should I introduce myself? _

_Definitely not. She looks…strange. _

Diana was too miserable to tell them off. She didn't want to be the new girl. She wanted to be back home.

"Hey! Moony, catch!" Sirius hollered as he pelted Remus with his own luggage.

"WHAT- " Remus choked, lifting the massive bag onto a shelf, "-WAS THAT FOR?"

"Well, as I recall, earlier you said you needed to be more athletic, and I have done you a favor by letting you lift my monstrous suitcase. You're welcome," Sirius said.

"When I said I needed to be more athletic, I meant I should try out for quidditch, not become someone's pack mule!" Remus cackled.

James suddenly appeared, Peter on his left. Peter was always glued to James, following him everywhere. James was annoyed by it at times, but he liked the idea of having someone look up to him almost as a god.

"Uh, why does Remus look he's been hit by a train?" James asked, squinting his eyes.

Peter was about to say something, but as usual, he was cut off by Sirius.

"Nothing. So where have you been? After we met up at the train station you vanished."

James was oddly blushing, a sight Remus never thought he'd see.

"I was, erm, following Lily," he confessed. James was completely, head over heels in love with Lily. Lily was kind and all, but Remus didn't understand why such an outgoing guy like him would be so in love with a timid girl like her. Plus, Lily was best friends with Severus, James's enemy. Surprisingly, Sirius and James couldn't be any more different when it came to dating. Sirius was only into "hot" chicks, attracting girls from every house, but James only had eyes for Lily. Sure, he dated other girls, but everyone knew it was Lily that he was in love with.

"AGAIN?" Sirius said, not realizing his voice was heard all over the train car.

"Mate, I think you need stop chasing after her. Each time you ask her out, she flat out rejects you."

"That's not true!" James protested. "I swear she once told me "Maybe"! MAYBE!"

Remus butted in. "Shh! The bloody train conductor can probably hear you two arguing." Usually Remus didn't yell at his friends, but their arguing was attracting the attention of every passenger in the train car. As usual, James and Sirius laughed off the entire conversation. They were best friends, and fighting over stupid things was a regular thing for them.

The four boys plopped down in their seats, anxious to return to Hogwarts. Especially Sirius, due to the fact Hogwarts was his second home. His mother was a judgmental, muggle-born hating shrew, and he looked forward to every moment he could be away from her. Remus remembered when Sirius would receive daily letters from his mother after being sorted into Gryffindor, which included nothing other than yelling and cursing.

"Hey Padfoot, who's that girl over there?" James asked.

"I don't know," Sirius muttered with little enthusiasm. "She must be new."

"Blimey, look at that mess of a hair she has!"

Remus looked up from his novel and saw a girl lounging alone at the other end of the train car. Her hair, like James said, was the curliest mess he had ever seen.

"I like curly hair, actually," Sirius grinned, brushing his hands through his own locks. "It's incredibly charming."

"You are the most conceited bloke I've ever known," James retorted. "I wouldn't be surprised if you carried a mirror around with you."

"You know me so well," Sirius said, smiling. He shot another glance at the isolated girl at the end of the train. "Where do you think she's from?"

"Beats me," Peter piped with a mouth full of candies. Remus had almost forgotten Peter was even there.

"How should we know?" James said. "I think she looks Canadian."

"No. She's definitely French," Peter said. I mean just look at her hair. All French people have brown hair, right?"

"Guys, are you seriously debating what nationality this girl is?" said Remus, closing his book shut. He silently cursed, knowing he forgot to mark the page he was on.

"I guess so," James snickered. Peter, of course, expressed his amusement along with James.

"Why don't you just ask her?" Remus said, staring straight at her. She was engulfed in a book, which happened to be the same as the one he was reading_-_ _A Magical Time_ by Robert Troeffser. "She looks nice."

"If she looks so nice, why don't _you_ ask her then Moony?" James cooed. Remus laid back in the seat, folding his hands behind his head. This train ride was going to be endless.

"Maybe later," he said, shutting his eyes.

"That's code for never," Sirius whispered to James.

Remus ignored the petty comment, and fell asleep with ease. He was still exhausted from his transformation a week before.

Being a werewolf was absolutely unbearable, that's for sure.

He couldn't even comprehend why his friends stuck by him, knowing of his condition. He was a monster, a threat to others. Dumbledore, however, was kind and let Remus attend Hogwarts on a few conditions. He was to sneak past the whomping willow just before the full moon rose, and would have to endure his agonizing transformation in a small shack off campus. James, Sirius and Peter found out about his awful affliction by their third year, yet took the news astonishingly well. Remus expected them to abandon him, but they shockingly remained friends with him. They even learned how to become Animagi, an extremely difficult ability to perform. By doing so, they accompanied him during his transformation. He liked knowing that his friends would prevent the wolf from attacking anyone.

"Mooonyyy…wakey, wakey…" Sirius murmured, his face only inches away from Remus's. Cold water slowly trickled down his shirt. He shouted, quickly backing away from Sirius.

"Good morning!" Sirius said, splashing more water on Remus's face.

"I AM GOING TO KILL-" Remus fumed. His anger suddenly vanished as he realized he and Sirius were the only souls on the train. "-Where'd everyone go?"

"They left," Sirius said. "I told them I'd wake you up. So worth it."

"Ha-ha," Remus said scornfully, "How late are we?"

"Only by a couple minutes," he said, helping Remus onto his feet. "C'mon, we're going to be late for the evening meal."

"And thanks to you, I'm going to be the soaking wet freak in the dining hall," Remus said, squeezing the water out of his robes.

Sirius chuckled and stepped onto the platform. He took a deep breath of air, and smiled.

"Don't worry, I'll just tell everyone the giant squid pulled a damsel into the lake. You were being gallant and rescued her. You're a big hero now. How does that sound?"

"Brilliant," Remus laughed. The two boys followed the faint voices of their peers, gawking at the spectacular beauty of the school's campus. The large, but gladly not full moon shone above them, lighting up every tree in the forest. Both of them knew that it was going that a new adventure was ahead of them.

Diana wasn't shocked when she was put into a line with all the first years. They all seemed like little elves compared to her. Diana herself was quite petite, but the first years seemed to have been bred from some sort of dwarfs. Looking around, she gawked at the marvelous dining hall. The ceiling was spectuacular, and she swore that she saw clouds floating above her. The amount of students was overwhelming. Most of the students were happily chatting with their friends, and reconnecting with old friends. Finally, there was silence. An old man, whom she recognized as the famed Dumbledore, stood up before them.

"Welcome!" He shouted, joy echoing in his voice. Diana knew she would like Dumbledore. He seemed understanding, and passionate about his work. After a speech delivered by Dumbledore each first year was to be put onto a stage, and sorted into a house. This house would define who you are for the rest of your life at Hogwarts. Diana shuttered at the thought. She had heard rumors of how Slytherins liked to bully the weaker ones, and how the Hufflepuff's were the nicest bunch you'd ever see. Vraddlelin had a completely different system than Hogwarts. One that seemed so much exciting yet simplier than this. Her stomach jerked as she thought about her old school, her old life, and especially her old friends. Before she knew it, her name was called.

"Diana Roth!" called an old, severe looking woman.

She sat before everybody, and a hat was place on top of her tangled curls. She jerked in her seat when she realized an actual voice was coming from the hat. The magical world wasn't all new to her, but Diana found out stranger aspects to Magic each and everyday.

_Hmm…a seventh year, are we?_

_You are from Vraddlelin…fascinating!_

_Your cleverness interests me..._

_Yet, your loyalty shines also._

_Which shall it be: Ravenclaw of Hufflepuff?_

_I say…_

"RAVENCLAW!"

The hat had almost popped Dianas eardrums. Did it say Ravenclaw? She silently stood up, and was greeted by clapping students in blue. She blushed, feeling great to be accepted with such enthusiasm, and she took a seat next to a blonde boy about her age.

"You'll love it here, trust me," he said patting her back.

"I think I will, actually," Diana giggled.

The rest of dinner, or supper as they called it, was incredible. The food was delicious, the people were especially kind, and no one seemed to mention her unmanageable hair (like others back home).

"Where you from?" said a girl from her left. She strangely smelled like cinnamon, and had intense azure eyes.

"The United States," she uttered. She expected most people didn't like the fact Diana was American. Their opinions on Americans were probably not positive to say the least.

"Really?" she chirped, tucking her choppy raven layers behind her ears. "What's it like over there? I've always wanted to visit."

"It's alright, I guess," Diana said. She paused for a moment, gathering her thoughts. "Hey, I don't have the slightest idea where any of my classes are. Do you mind showing me around tomorrow?"

"Of course. I know I was lost as hell during my first year," she said, licking her sticky fingers. "By the way, I'm Mona. Mona Chadwick."

Diana grinned, and devoured the remaining food on her plate. Usually she didn't have a big appetite, but today she felt like she could just never stop eating. The houses were eventually sent up to the dormitories. Following Mona, she noticed that an answer to an incredibly hard riddle was needed in order to get into the Raven claw room. A chill ran through her spine. What if she couldn't answer the riddle? Would that mean she would be stuck outside the dormitories until a person would come along and open the door for her? She stood in front a beautiful, black haired woman dressed in elegant robes. She spoke softly, delivering the riddle with ease.

_A man was to be sentenced to askaban, and the minister told him, "You may make a statement. If it is true, I'll sentence you to twenty years in askaban. If it is false, I'll sentence you to life in askaban." After the man made his statement, the minister decided to let him go free. What did the man say?_

Diana stood beside the door for what seemed like ages, her mind racing. Other Ravenclaws stood beside her, anxiously waiting for her to finally give an answer. At last, the solution dawned upon her.

Diana cleared her throat and declared, "The man said, 'You'll sentence me to six years in prison.' If it was true, then the judge would have to make it false by sentencing him to four years. If it was false, then he would have to give him six years, which would make it true. Rather than contradict his own word, the judge set the man free."

"Correct," the woman on the door said. The massive door gradually opened, letting in herself and several other Ravenclaw's into the grand room. Diana was amazed by the quietness of the room. Bookcases lined the walls, and the wallpaper was a soothing navy blue color. She imagined that this was the absolute perfect place to read a novel.

"Don't you just love it?" Mona said, grasping Diana's elbow. "The sorting hat almost placed me in Slytherin, because I was cunning or something. But it said my love for books was an obvious sign I belonged in Ravenclaw," she continued, her face twisted in disgust. "I would die if I was placed in Slytherin."

"I've heard they're foul-mouthed, prejudice jerks," Diana breathed. "I'm positive one called me a mudblood as I left the Hogwarts express."

"I'm sorry hun," Mona said, pouting. "Just to let you know, I would never care about your blood-status, and neither will most of the people at this school."

"Great. But we better be off to bed. What dorm room are you in?"

"27? You?"

"Are you serious?" Diana shouted, disturbing the silence of the Ravenclaw room. "I'm in 27!"

"Sweet! This year is going to be great! I already can tell."

Diana and Mona walked side by side up the massive spiral staircase, apprehensively wishing to settle in their bunks. Mona stopped Diana dead in her tracks just before entering the dorm room.

"You must know that our roommate, Bethany, is the most positive person you'll ever meet. Her damn excitement will tire you out within minutes. But, other than that she's a fun person to be around. She's definitely the girl you want to be with during Gryffindor parties," Mona blathered. "And Kathleen is cool too. She's more mellow, you know? But sometimes she can be a bit disconnected. It's extremely hard to get her out of her shell. Oh, and don't ever, ever, ever wake her up when she's sleepwalking. You'll come across some nasty stuff when you do that."

As they entered the room, it was apparent two other girls had already unpacked their luggage.

"Hi!" said a short chubby girl with long blonde hair, lingering in the corner. She was only a couple inches shorter than Diana. "I'm Bethany!"

Diana could already tell Mona was going to be tired of Bethany's merriment by the end of the night.

"I'm Diana," Diana said, awkwardly waving with her left hand.

Mona gave Bethany a small nod. Diana couldn't help but notice Mona wasn't that fond of giving formal hello's and hugs.

"You're a Yank, aren't you?" Bethany said, noticing Diana's strong accent. "That's interesting!"

"Yeah," Diana said, half sighing. How many times would she be badgered with questions about her nationality?

Diana scoped the entire dorm. It was larger than Vraddlelin's sleeping quarters, and had much more elegance to it. Instead of metal, the beds were actually made of smooth, unchipped cherry wood. The windows were taller than Diana herself, and they showed a magnificent view of a large tree, and a large, dark forest. And from the looks of it, Bethany had just finished hanging up posters of the The Beatles, a popular band for both wizards and muggles.

"Don't you just love them?" She cheered, stroking Ringo Starr's face.

"They're pretty great," Diana said, eyeing her all time favorite member, John Lennon.

"Too bad they're muggles," Bethany moaned. "They would never date some freak from the wizard world like me."

"How many times do I have to tell you?" Mona cried, butting in. "You are not a wizard world freak! According to the entire student body, _you are normal_!"

"But my parents-" Bethany sighed. "-I'm nothing but a weirdo to them."

Diana felt pity for Bethany, whom was obviously muggle born. Being muggle born wasn't easy, especially if your parents didn't understand the hardships of having to live in two different worlds. Most adults with magical kids are confused about the situation they are in. At first, Diana's parents rejected the idea of their only daughter being magical, due to the fact their her brother was a muggle. But, when Vraddlelin's headmaster, Savvy Kercheoff, explained directly to her parents how Diana had obtained the magical gene from her mother's father, they finally accepted the fact she was a wizard. Suddenly, a rather tall girl appeared out of nowhere. Had she apparated? No, that was illegal on school grounds. She was clutching a stack of bedding sheets.

"Woah," she said, almost losing her grip on the sheets. The girl stared directly at Diana, her lips curling into a half-smile. "You must be our new roommate. I'm Kathleen."

She clumsily placed the sheets on her bed, and rushed to shake Diana's hand. Her palms were sweaty, but Diana didn't really care. Kathleen ran her fingers through her auburn hair and threw Mona a shy glance.

"Hey Mona, how was your summer?" Kathleen asked, her voice cracking.

"Pretty good," Mona replied. "Definitely wasn't as good as last summer. Remember our frosting fight?"

Kathleen gave a faint chuckle. "How could I forget? Best day ever."

"Hey," Bethany said frowning, "Why wasn't _I _invited to this frosting fight?"

Mona ignored her protest. "Remember when we hexed James and Sirius the day after? They each had a unibrow for a week. That taught 'em not to ever steal my broomstick again!"

Diana was tremendously puzzled. "Who are James and Sirius?"

"James lives a neighborhood away from me. Small world, right?" Mona said, raising her eyebrows. "James and his best friend Sirius-"

"WHO IS THE SEXIEST MAN ALIVE!" screamed Bethany from her bunk.

Mona rolled her eyes, mouthing the word "obsession" to Diana.

"-Anyways, I'm not that close with James, but we say hello to each other in the hallways and such. Sirius…not so much. He's a bit egotistical."

"No! He is amazingly kind and all-around perfect!" Bethany squealed, glancing up from a home decoration magazine. "I swear, one day I will have little Sirius Black babies."

"Sure, Bethany… sure." Kathleen muttered. "You wanna know what's weird?"

"What?" Mona and Diana said simultaneously.

"Remus Lupin's scars on his face. I really want to know how he got them."

"I know!" Mona yelled, her eyes wide. "I'm too afraid to ask him though." Mona noticed yet another perplexed look on Diana's face. "Remus Lupin is also James and Sirius's friend."

"Oh," Diana said. "There's too many names to know at this school."

"Don't worry, you'll get the hang of things," Kathleen said. "It took me three days to actually find my way around the school my first year."

"Well that makes her feel better!" Mona said with sarcasm. Diana silently flinched. She did not care for sarcasm at all. After a long stretch of silence, Diana peered at the wall clock above her bunk.

"Oh my god, it's already 11:00! Oops, I mean 23:00, right? I'm bad at military time," Diana confided. "Doesn't the head girl check to see if the lights are out now?"

"Damn, your right," Mona uttered. "Quickly unpack. I know the head girl personally, and she's strict to say the least."

Mona and Diana rapidly pulled their freshly folded clothes out of their suitcases and chaotically stuffed their clothes into the free dressers. There wasn't much to unpack, because the school had a uniform, which was supplied by the school. Mona threw her suitcase under the bed and dived for the light switch. Footsteps were approaching, and each girl dashed onto their beds, forcing themselves under the quilts. The door opened with a loud creak, and an older girl poked her head in. She took out her quill and scribbled something on a piece of parchment, then shut the door, not even trying to be silent. Each girl anxiously held their breath until the footsteps disappeared.

"God, I hate her," Mona said with deep breaths. No one replied to Mona's comment. "You guys are asleep already?"

Mona finally gave up, and curled under the covers. Diana was truly awake, but not in the mood to talk anymore. She rolled over, and silentely reflected on her day. For some reason, she knew that Hogwarts wasn't going to be that bad after all. Before the clock could even strike 11:03, Diana fell in a deep, dreamless sleep.

Remus Lupin could already tell his first class was going to be his least favorite. Not only did he despise the monotone teacher, but he couldn't stand the whole basis of the felt like an idiot for not dropping the class when he had the chance. He exhaled noisily, trying to locate James and Sirius through the swarming Hogwarts main hall.

"Hey!" said James, slapping Remus's back. "How was Divination?"

"Terrible," he replied.

"At least you passed all of you O.W.L.S, I have the retake Muggle studies," Sirius said, appearing on Remus's left. "Worst class ever."

They all strolled out into the courtyard, and noticed Peter was wandering around aimlessly.

"Peter, what the hell are you doing?" Sirius asked flatly.

"Looking for you three," he responded, his textbooks plummeting to the ground.

James and Remus assisted Peter with picking up his books, but Sirius just remained frozen, gawking at a group of 7th year girls.

"Why don't you just approach them?" James asked Sirius.

"Because…" Sirius exclaimed. "That is not how you get girls. You need to add a little "mystery" before you pounce at them."

"Whatever you say," James said, slowly shaking his head.

From the distance, Remus saw a group of two girls approaching them. He immediately identified at one of them. Her name was Mona, a Ravenclaw, and her appearance was somewhat rugged. Her black hair wasn't cleanly cut like most girls, and he could tell she put charms on her eyelids to make them darker.

"Hey James," Mona said, her eyebrows arching.

Next to her stood a tall, long-limbed girl, with reddish-brown hair that reached her shoulders. She looked intensely shy, and she was clutching her books as if her life depended on it. Remus was struggling to remember her name; didn't it start with a K? He was sure Mona had introduced her before.

"Hello Mona," James said. "Haven't seen you in a while."

Mona gaped directly at Remus for a moment, and then swiftly looked away, her cheeks red. He used to hate when people would stare, but he had grown accustomed to it. It wasn't uncommon for people to be interested in his scars. Usually, when people gained the courage to ask him about the scars embedded in his face, he usually told them he was attacked by a wild pack of dogs when he was young. The truth was Remus would assault himself in his wolf form, due to the frustration of not attacking other humans.

"Hey," a girl said, emerging from behind Mona. Remus instantly realized it was the girl from the train, curly hair and all. Up close, he could finally make out the girl's features. She had a slightly convex nose, and high cheekbones. Her brown eyes were wide, as if she was seeking something. "Sorry we didn't catch up with you," she continued, leaning towards Mona. "Bethany stepped in a pile of mud. Her shoes were disgusting."

Bethany shot an evil look at the girl, and then blushed.

"It wasn't that bad," Bethany said sheepishly, not taking her eyes off Sirius.

"Guys, this is Diana. She's new," Mona said.

"Nice to meet you," Remus said, grinning.

"Ok, so we were all wondering…where are you from?" Sirius questioned, not caring if he sounded the least bit strange.

"The United States. I lived in Colorado," she said, the memories of her past home glistening in her eyes.

"Oh. That's wicked," Sirius said. "I told you she wasn't French, Peter."

Peter smiled out of embarrassment, then stared at the dirt below his shoes.

"What class do you have next, Diana?" Mona asked.

"Uh…" Diana said, pulling a piece of parchment out from her pocket. "It says I have Defense Against the Dark Arts with Professer Sterner."

"Really?" Remus said, his face lighting up. "I have that too."

"My next class is at the other end of the school," Mona groaned. "Can Remus just show you around?"

"Sure," Diana said, her heart fluttering.  
Remus was starting to feel a bit queezy, and he didn't know why. It was like he was…frightened to escort her to her classes. He brushed off the feeling and motioned for her to follow him.

In the distance he heard Bethany speaking loudly.

"I like your shoes Sirius!" Bethany exclaimed, the whole courtyard echoing.

"How do you like Hogwarts?" He asked, leading Diana back into the school's jammed halls.

"It's a lot better than I expected," She said, locking eyes with him. Remus turned away, his stomach flipping. She seemed to not have noticed his reaction. "You're in Gryffindor, right?"

"Yes," he said, trying not to seem pompous like his friends. "Are you going out for the quidditch team?"

Diana giggled uncontrollably. "Are you kidding? I am the worst athlete ever!"

"Don't worry. I am not a fantastic quidditch player either. I'm more book smart."

"Me too," she said. "I guess that's why they put me in Ravenclaw. I don't think I've seen a single Ravenclaw without some sort of novel in their hand."

They finally made it to the third floor. Remus's feet were already aching from the long treks around the school.

"Here it is…" he said, holding the door open for Diana. Remus was brought up to show respect for his peers.

"Thanks," she said softly, then entered the classroom. Remus drew a deep breath, then slowly followed her in.

"We typically just sit wherever we want," Remus said.

"If you don't mind, can I sit by you?" Diana pleaded, as if he would say no.

"Sure," he said, feeling somewhat valued. They chose the perfect table: Not in the front, where the teacher was so close you could _feel_ his spit, yet not in the back, where the Slytherins chose to gather. All of the late students finally arrived, and the teacher was a male this year.

"Good morning class," said the teacher, his voice shaky, yet stern. "I am your new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, you can call me Professor Sterner."

Remus noticed the emphasis on new, perhaps due to the fact that almost no teachers stayed in the position for more than a year. Some said the job was even cursed.

"Today, we are going to jump right in. Turn your textbooks to page 21."

Remus flipped through the textbook. A shiver ran through his spine as his read the bold words on the page: **Werewolves**. He absolutely did not want to hear more arguments on how werewolves should be shunned from society, or how they are dirty, ugly creatures. Remus hoped that the new teacher wasn't notified of his condition.

"Werewolves," Sterner said briskly. "Will kill you if you give them the chance."

"No duh," said a Slytherin from the back. Sterner ignored the rude comment.

"Can someone tell me what werewolves are?"

The class was silent. No one even bothered to raise their hands. Remus looked over to Diana, who was resting her chin on her left hand.

"You," Sterner said, pointing at Diana. "Tell me all that you know about werewolves."

"They are normal humans until they are bitten," Diana said, stuttering. "Once the saliva and blood make contact, there's no going back. On every full moon, the person will change into a wolf, not being able to control their actions. The wolf could kill an entire village and not remember it the next morning."

Remus felt as if she was telling his life story.

"Good answer, miss…"

"Roth."

"Roth? As in Julies Miham Roth, the prominent ministry official that passed the anti-werewolf laws? Are you in any way related to him?"

"I…" Diana muttered. "Yes. He's my grandfather."

This sudden knowledge kicked Remus in the gut. Here he was, a werewolf, sitting next to the granddaughter of the man who ruined his chances of ever being normal. And of course, she was most likely raised to believe her grandfathers opinions. If she was ever to know about Remus's problem, she would be disgusted, and never speak to him again. He wanted ever so badly to just run out of the classroom, but he couldn't.

"Tell your grandfather he is a great man, indeed. He rid the world of those nasty, harmful creatures," Sterner said, smiling.

"I don't see him much," Diana mumbled, smiling with pain. "But I will."

A couple of Slytherins were whispering in back, probably about her granfather's legacy.

"We are going to be having a quiz on werewolves tomorrow, so be sure to study. I am going to give you the rest of the class period to read the chapter and fill out an assessment."

The whole class groaned in unison, but the teacher obviously did not care. Diana dove right into the book, reading twice as fast as Remus. She evidently had a knack for reading.

"Hey," Diana whispered, nudging Remus in the arm.

"What is it?"

"What did you get for question 13?"

"A short snout and triangular nails," Remus whispered, back.

"Wait, it doesn't mention that in the book…" Diana said quietly, flipping through the pages. Remus's insides became cold.

"Class, it seems that question 13 is not in the book," Sterner announced, looking at the assessment. "Skip it."

"How did you know that?" Diana asked, her eyebrows arching.

"I….I learned about it…last year. Yeah," Remus stumbled.

"Oh," Diana replied, disbelief in her voice.

After 10 more minutes the teacher stood up, eyeing the wall clock.

"Look at the time! Class dismissed!"

The sound of chairs scraping the floor penetrated Remus's ears. He and Diana were the last to leave the classroom. As they entered the hallway, a Slytherin student, known as Lucius Malfoy, approached Diana. Remus loathed everything about Lucius: his racism, his hatred, his bratty personality and especially his damn spoiling parents.

"I can't believe your related to the Julies Roth," Lucius said, his chin up. "You know, you and my friends would get along nicely. Why don't you sit with us tomorrow?"

"Well, actually, Remus and I are sitting together," she said, her voice angry. "And why would I sit with the person who called me a filthy Mudblood?"

Remus wanted to hex the git badly. But, he knew James and Sirius wouldn't let him down for doing it without them.

"…Fine. If you want to sit next to_ him_, be my guest. Those Gryffindors don't make good associates, just to let you know," Lucius breathed, his teeth clenched. "They're nothing but proud idiots."

"Just leave, Lucius," Diana spat. "You're the one who's nothing but a proud idiot."

Lucius was fuming with anger as he stomped away. Remus had the urge to punch the arrogance out of him, but he didn't want to make a scene. At the same time, though, Remus felt that Diana wanting to sit with him was very compassionate.

"Thanks," Remus said, unable to really say more.

"I just hate people like that," she said, anger in her eyes. They both were heading towards the stairs. As they were were walking side by side, Diana managed to lose her balance. She went airborn, tripping over her own right foot. Remus quickly grabbed her arm, pulling her towards him. Her books were all over the stairs, but she was safe from the possible injuries that could've taken place.

"Oh my gosh," she said, her cheeks burning with humiliation. "Thank you. I really don't know why I'm so clumsy today."

"It's fine," he said, handing her books to her.

A couple of students behind them were snickering. They were all obviously second years.

"Ignore them," Remus said, laughing at their immaturity.

"Lunch is next, right?" Diana stumbled, trying to change the subject.

"Yeah," he said, motioning her to walk left.

"So, where do I sit?" Diana questioned.

"Usually you sit with your house. But, you really allowed to sit anywhere."

"Oh," she uttered, looking towards the lunch hall. "I'll see you later, then. We have Herbology together after lunch, right?"

"Yeah," he replied. "See yah."

Diana smiled, then walked towards her friends near the Ravenclaw table. Remus joined Sirius, James and Peter at the Gryffindor table, a grin on his face.

"Why are you so happy?" asked Sirius, his face paler than usual. "I think I'm going to die from exhaustion any moment now."

"No reason," Remus said uncomfortably.

"Is that new girl nice?" James inquired, his eyes shifting towards the Ravenclaw table.

"Yes. But-" Remus continued, scowling.

"But what?"

"-She's nice, but her grandfather is…Julies Roth."

Silence overcame the table, and the four boys glanced awkwardly at each other.

"Ouch," Sirius said, making a sound with his tongue.

"I know," Remus said, staring at his full plate of food.

"Maybe she isn't like him," James piped, trying to be positive. "Maybe she thinks her granfather's laws are stupid. I know I do."

"Yeah," Peter chirped, nodding like a little child.

"I don't think I should be friends with her, honestly," Remus said, staring straight at Diana, who was talking ecstatically to Mona. "I want to be friends with her, but it obviously won't work out."

"C'mon Moony, she doesn't have to know. Ever." Sirius proposed.

"And we'll make sure of that." added James, squinting through his glasses.

"I guess there's nothing to worry about, then," Remus said, his heart lifting.

"She seems like a pretty cool chick, if you ask me," Sirius said, biting the end off of a celery stick. "Her friend Bethany's a little crazy though. She reminds me of a piglet with rabies or something."

"Great analogy," James said sarcastically.

"What's an analogy?" Sirius replied, his face puzzled. Remus couldn't believe Sirius knew so little about his own language.

"How the Lily situation," Remus asked, expecting a grim answer.

"It's coming along. She's starting to talk to me now," James said, happy as can be. "Ever since she dumped that greasy haired toad out of the picture, she's been a lot nicer to me."

It was evident that James was referring to Lily's old best friend, Severus Snape. About a year ago, Severus called Lily a mudblood. She hasn't spoken to him since. His hooked nose, pale skin and greasy hair made him a target to all of the Gryffindor's taunts. He wasn't a kind person, yet Remus felt somewhat sorry for him, because James and Sirius often teased Severus. But, Remus never really did anything to stop it. He figured it was because they had been such good friends to him, and he wouldn't want to risk that by standing up for someone he didn't even like.

"Guys," said James, messing up his hair (he usually did that to make his hair look "windswept"). "I have come up with the perfect prank."

Sirius leaned in, interested.

"You see snivellus over there? Well, I recently learned a charm that can alter one's clothes to become a dress. Isn't that hilarious?"

Sirius was dying from laughter. "Come on James," he snickered. "Let's do it now. I don't care if it's in front of everyone!"

Peter, James and Sirius were walking towards the Slytherins, but stopped dead in their tracks.

"You coming Moony?" Sirius asked, his voice almost annoyed.

"I…uh…fine," Remus stuttered, not wanting to see Severus get humiliated once again.

They approached the Ravenclaw table, and bent over near Mona and Diana.

"We're going to prank Snivellus," James whispered, taking a seat next to Mona. "Can we seat here just for a bit? You guys are the closest table to the Slytherins."

"Of course!" Mona said. "I hate Severus, too. He's a dirty little git."

Remus took a seat by Diana, who had just finished her meal.

"What are your friends doing?" She asked, taking a sip of her pumpkin juice.

"I don't even know," he confided. "Something about hexing Severus Snape…"

"Who's that?"

"He's a Slytherin. Likes to hate on Muggle borns."

"Can I join in, then?" she asked, a smile creeping up her face.

She tilted herself towards James and Sirius.

"On 3, say the spell," Diana murmured, taking another sip of her drink.

"One," Sirius said, his eyes fixed on Severus. "Two…three!"

James lifted his wand, and pointed it straight at Severus's heart.

"Drerussio!" James yelled, a yellow spark igniting from his wand.

Severus stood up, feeling the impact of the spell on his chest. His hands were moving all over his body, checking for some sort of injury. Before anyone knew it, Severus's clothes somehow morphed into a pink, sparkling dress. A large bow was tied right on his back, making the scene even more hilarious. He ran out of the lunch hall, his face in his hands. The entire student body was on the floor laughing. Diana spit out her drink, causing her friend Kathleen to be covered in pumpkin juice. She immediately clamped her hands over her mouth, realizing what she had just done. But even then, she was able to laugh it off. Sirius, seeing both the dress and Diana spit her entire mouthful onto Kathleen, fell over hooting. Remus actually found the whole scene quite amusing, and laughed profusely. The entire groups ribs were about to break from the pressure of laughing too hard.

"That was hilarious," Diana giggled, wiping her mouth.

"YOU GOT PUMPKIN JUICE ALL OVER ME!" screamed Kathleen, her mouth wide in horror.

"I'm sorry," Diana said, still sniggering. "It was just too funny!"

"Diana, I would pay anything to see you spit out your drink again," said Sirius, his fist pounding on the table.

Once the laughter died down, Remus, Peter, James and Sirius darted back to their seats, hoping to not be seen. The lunchroom was once again brought back to its normal rhythm, and the four boys could not stop raving about the event that just happened.

"See Moony, pranking is not fun when you're sitting in the corner reading your book," Sirius said, bearing his white teeth.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever," Remus said, turning away from Sirius.

They all sat together for the rest of lunch, creating new and improved ideas for pranks. They were all absolutely sure that Severus was going to retaliate, and he wouldn't give up with a fight. Each boy would have to be prepared for what was to come. Lunch finally ended, and Remus met up with Diana out in the courtyard. They were on break, and class didn't start for another 25 minutes. They both planted themselves near a large willow tree, pulling out their novels.

"Hey, you're reading that too?" Diana chirped, pointing towards Remus's book. She held up the same novel, shaking it with her hand.

"Yeah. It's a wonderful book, don't you think?" Remus said.

"I love it, except for the main character's best friend. He is too whiny," she said, rolling her eyes.

"Tell me about it," he said, reclining against the tree.

They both sat near the tree silently, hearing nothing but the ruffling of the willow's leaves.

"Aww," Diana sniveled, wiping the tears running down her cheeks with the edge of her sleeve.

"What is it?" Remus asked, inching towards her.

"Alice just kissed Kidman. It was so romantic," she said, clutching the book over her heart.

"…I thought this book was a mystery," Remus said, digging his face into her book.

"It is," she replied. "But it has some romance elements."

"Oh," said Remus, disappointment in his voice. Romance novels were not his type of book. Suddenly, the sound of bells disrupted their peaceful reading. Remus and Diana Groaned simultaneously, and then helped each other stand up. She took his arm, and they both marched towards herbology, not a single thought of fear on their minds.

The leaves were changing, as was her heart. Diana gazed out the window in her Defense against the Dark Arts classroom, the red and orange leaves reflecting in her eyes. She finally had adjusted to Hogwarts life, and no longer was referred to as "the new girl". She sat alone at her desk, wondering where the heck Remus was. She sighed. Remus. Why did he make her heart pounce every moment he smiled? Why did his golden hair cause her stomach to jitter? She had finally decided she had feelings for him, and these feelings were going to burst out of her body at any moment. Sure, at first she saw Remus as a great friend, but then, one day out of the blue, she couldn't control the warmth her heart felt every time she laid her eyes on him.

"Sorry I'm late," Remus said apologetically.

"It's fine," Diana replied, incredibly glad he wasn't sick (as he always was).

"Look at this," he said, grabbing his wand. He pointed the wand up, and started to slowly twirl it. Blue puffs of smoke emerged from the wand, creating a strange aroma. He directly the wand towards her open hand, and a Beautiful azure flower materialized from the smoke. Diana looked at the flower for ages, then into Remus's eyes.

"Oh my gosh," Diana whispered. "It's so beautiful!"

"You can have it if you want," Remus said, smiling. Diana wanted to kiss him with all her heart, but she obviously restrained herself.

"Thanks!" she said, tucking the flower into her hair. Today, she actually sprayed her curls with Wizard Wholloys Hair Straighter.

Professor Sterner entered the room without elegance, his coffee spilling everywhere.

"Today, we're going to be learning how to stun someone properly," he said, licking his coffee stained fingers.

"What?" Lucius Malofy cried from the back of the room. "We already learned that years ago!"

"Be quiet, Malfoy," Sterner said, not caring if he insulted the boy. "Now, everyone form a line. We are going to stun ants," he declared, displaying an ant farm at the front of the room. The students got into a line, and each had to yell stupefy when an ant was released from the habitat.

I DECIDED NOT TO RIGHT THE REST OF THIS PART

YAY FOR LAZINESS!

The sunset was beautiful, and created the feeling of romance inside Diana's heart. She knew that tonight was the night she was going to tell Remus she loved him. She had rehearsed the conversation millions of times, trying to make herself sound extremely romantic and sophisticated in her head (when she was obviously not). Diana left the Ravenclaw room and headed towards the Gryffindor dorms, hoping Remus would be there waiting like she asked to him. From the distance, she caught sight of him. She sighed, trying to suppress her feelings.

"Hey Remus," Diana said, grabbing his arm. "I really need to talk to you."

Her entire body was shaking, knowing what three words were just ahead. She was ready, emotionally. Diana knew she couldn't last another day without expressing her feelings to him

"I really can't talk now," Remus said, looking out the window several times. Strangely, when he spoke, she thought his canines looked longer and pointer than usual.

"But…wait," Diana uttered. "What's wrong with your teeth?"

He clamped his hands over his mouth. "I have to leave! Tell me tomorrow," he yelled, running down the length of the hall.

"Remus!" Diana cried. She dashed after him, only to see the tail of his robes going out the courtyard door. Diana followed him outdoors, realizing he was heading towards the Whomping willow. Was he suicidal or something? The sunset created a red glow on Remus and the other tree's in the forest. James, Sirius and Peter suddenly appeared from the bushes, greeting Remus. They spoke as if they felt sorry for him.

"You ready Moony?" James said in the distance, his arm around Remus.

"Am I ever?" Remus replied, moaning.

"We have to hurry! Peter! Go," Sirius yelled, pointing towards the tree.

To Diana's astonishment, Peter morphed into a tiny, grey rat and scurried towards the Whomping Willow. She was absolutely horrified yet impressed at the same time. Peter had actually managed to become an Animagi (an extremely hard ability to master). The rat pushed a small knot at the base of the tree, and the four boys ran into a secret passageway beneath the large trees bark. Knowing she had little time, Diana darted towards the tree's passageway as if her life depended on it. She lifted the trapdoor, and entered the secret passageway, trying not to make a single noise. A long, dirt filled hallway stood before her. The echoes from the boy's yelling could be heard from the opposite end of the hall. Diana sauntered through the lengthy, dim pathway, seeking the boy's presence. She stood before a small series of dirt steps, realizing they entered a small room. The boy's voices could be heard from above, and she was struggling to make out their conversation. Abruptly, a scream caused Diana's heart to skip a beat. It was Remus. Terrified for both him and herself, she ran towards the voices, tears streaming out of her eyes. Another bloodcurdling shrill shook the floorboards, and Diana was becoming increasingly frightened.

"Remus!" She said, bursting into the room. Remus didn't react, he was in too much pain. Curling up in fetal postion, Remus released another shreik and his back arched.

"Diana, you need to leave! Now!" Sirius yelled, forcing her down the stairs. She fought back, defying Sirius's strength. James and Peter were in the opposite corner of the room, holding Remus down as if was going to pounce on someone.

"No!" she yelled back. "He's hurt!"

"No he's not!" Sirius roared. It was too late; Diana crawled under Sirius's legs, and fled towards the shrieking Remus. She leaned over him, crying. But, there was something unusual about Remus. Fur slowly grew over his entire body, and the sound of crunching bones caused Diana too flinch. He growled like a wild animal. She slowly back away from him, realizing what was going on.

"You need to run!" Sirius bellowed, holding Remus down to the ground.

Diana sprinted in the opposite direction, almost tripping over her robes. A long howl in the distance caused her feet to move even quicker. She burst out of the willow, pressed the knob, and scurried towards the school with all of her power. She finally stopped running when she reached the inside of the school. Out of breath and her face redder than ever, she reached the Ravenclaw room. She answered the riddle, her voice shaky, and resisted all the stared her fellow Ravenclaws gave her as she walked up the stairs sobbing. Bethany and Mona surrounded her as soon as she entered the room crying.

"What's wrong?" Mona asked, putting Diana's head on her shoulder. "Did he say no?"

Diana shook her head, her final tears slowly traveling down her chin.

"I-I-I'm f-f-fine," Diana cried, stuttering. She was wheezing, as if she was having one of her Asthma attacks.

"You look like you've seen a ghost," Kathleen said, taking a seat next to Diana.

Diana released a weak laugh. "Something like that," she sniffed.

She stayed in the comfort of her friends, not only traumatized, but heartbroken. The amount of pain she saw him going through…was just unbearable. She never wanted to ever hear those hair-raising screams ever again, nor see the pain of bones breaking and reshaping. Diana finally convinced her friends to go to sleep, and she lay at the foot of her bed, trembling. She couldn't bear to look at the full moon, or hear the sounds of the wolves howling. Diana just wanted to sleep until the end of time.

Remus gradually regained consciousness, lying half-naked on the grass. This recent transformation was more excruciating than three of his previous ones combined. He sat up, every muscle in his body screaming with pain. Wincing from the soreness, he took the blanket that was next to him and wrapped it around his entire body. After his blurry vision subsided, Remus noticed his four friends standing a couple feet away from him, engaged in an argument.

"What are we going to do, tell Dumbledore? I'm sure that will go over well," Sirius spat at James, almost ripping out his own hair.

"Hey! Dumbledore's more understanding than you think, Sirius. We have to do something," James said, shaking his head.

Remus gathered the willpower to stand up, but immediately collapsed to the ground before he could even straighten his back. The boys realized Remus had just fallen, and quickly ran to his side. James wrapped a Gryffindor robe over Remus, and smiled sadly at him

"What-," croaked Remus, his lungs on fire. "-Are you guys talking about?"

Sirius and James just stared at each other, depressing expressions on their face.

"Oh no," mumbled Remus, his body quivering. "I've hurt someone, didn't I?"

His insides were colder than winter, and his mind was racing. How could he be so stupid? Remus knew that going to Hogwarts was too good to be true.

"No!" James shouted, helping Remus onto his feet. "It's just…"

"What?" Remus said weakly. "Tell me, James."

Sirius and James exchanged another glance, both taking big, deep breaths.

"Someone…someone followed us into the shrieking shack," muttered Sirius. "They saw everything."

Remus's hand began to sweat, even though it was freezing outside. Possible futures replayed in his head, from the Slytherin's exposing him for what he truly was, to his own fellow Gryffindors being disgusted by him. His heart fell, wondering who it was that saw him. It could've been anyone.

"Who?" he said, picturing the face of the girl he loved. If she were ever to find out, he'd die. Tears welled up in his eyes.

"Diana," James uttered, putting a hand on Remus's shoulder. Her name pierced his heart and cut it right open. His worst possible fear had come true. The girl he had fallen in love with over the past few months was aware of his true nature. He fell to his knees, every limb in his body numb.

"It's alright, Moony!" Sirius said, trying to lift Remus's spirits. "You don't need her!"

"You don't understand," Remus cried. "I _love_ her!"

The boys fell silent, their eyes wandering.

"Why didn't you tell us?" James said, bending down to Remus's level.

"I-I don't know," Remus replied, every organ in his body throbbing. Remus couldn't help but think of Diana. Her smile, her laugh, her kindheartedness, her witty comments, heck, even her curly hair caused his heart to pounce.

Sirius stepped forward, holding out his hand.

"If you love her, and she's right for you, she'll understand," he said, helping Remus onto his feet once again. Remus threw his right hand onto Sirius's shoulder, leaning for support. He struggled to walk, but fought to do so. As they approached the school, butterflies emerged in Remus's stomach. What was he going to say to Diana? How would she react? Would he even say anything all? He figured that he would just have to avoid her for the rest of his years at Hogwarts. But, it wasn't going to be an easy thing to do. He can't just fall out of love with her! Remus needed to get over Diana, which was going to be more painful than all of his transformations combined. Remus was beginning to feel dizzy, and he wasn't sure if it was from the transformation or the thought of Diana. Hogwarts, which lay just ahead, began to spin in circles. Remus stopped dead in his tracks, wobbling from side to side. The sound of his friends voices blurred, and he passed out onto the ground, darkness quickly consuming him

"When is he going to wake up?" Peter asked from the corner. Remus's slowly opened his eyes once again, and he found himself in his dorm room, his limbs numb from being iced for so long.

"How long was I out?" Remus asked, sitting up.

"Only 2 days," Peter replied, bouncing on his bed.

Remus groaned, knowing he'd have to make up an incredible amount of work. James and Sirius stood at opposite ends of his bed, beaming.

"Well, it's about time you woke up!" James said, adjusting his glasses. "Are you okay going to classes today? It's only morning."

Remus obviously didn't want to face the impending drama that was about to go on with Diana and him, but he had no other choice. He would have to face her sooner or later.

"Sure," he said, standing up. His muscles were much less tense than before.

"Good for you," declared Sirius as he struggled to put his socks on.

The friends all dressed and headed down to the lunch hall. Remus avoided looking at the Ravenclaw table at all costs.

"Diana and her friends don't sit with us anymore," Sirius said sadly. "It doesn't look like things are going too well, Moony."

Remus cringed, knowing this was a sign that Diana was truly afraid of him.

Breakfast seemed to pass by quickly, and Remus attended Divination. Throughout the whole class he was unable to concentrate. All he could think about was facing Diana. The Divination teacher even noticed Remus's inability to pay attention, asking him if he "needed air". Remus didn't need air; he needed to get out of Defense Against the Dark Arts.

Before he knew it, the inevitable was coming. Remus stood before the D.A.D.A door, drawing in a deep breath. He slowly sauntered into the room, feeling as if all eyes were on him. Looking down at the ground, Remus made his way past his usual desk (without even looking to see if Diana was even there), and sat next to Bryer Birchwood, a fellow Gryffindor. Bryer seemed unusually staggered that Remus had chosen to sit by him. The door opened, and Diana toddled into the room, holding her books above her heart. She scanned her desk, obviously noticing that it was once again empty. Walking towards the table, her eyes slowly moving up from the floor with each step, she made direct eye contact with Remus. They both looked away, their hearts both racing at the same pace. Diana sat with a random Hufflepuff girl, who Remus always saw her chatting with.

"Class," The teacher declared, his glasses fogged. "Today we are going to learn how to treat a Dragon burn carefully and delicately."

The teacher rambled on and on about the subject, but Remus sat in his classroom, not taking his mind of Diana. He had survived his first class without speaking to her. 2 more classes to go.

"-And that is why you shouldn't conjure a water spell with an open wound," Sterner continued, scoping the classroom.

"Remus Lupin!" The teacher yelled. "Wake up!"

Remus hadn't realized he had placed his head on his desk, looking as if he was asleep.

"What?" Remus sat, lifting his head. "Oh, sorry…"

The Slytherin's were all laughing, but no one else seemed to find it that funny. After thirty more long, agonizing minutes, class was dismissed, and Remus raced out the door. He joined Sirius, Peter, and James at the usual lunch spot.

"Hey," he said quietly.

"How'd everything go?" James asked.

"Not well," uttered Remus, his face in his hands.

Without even thinking, Remus shifted his gaze towards the Ravenclaws. His mind told him to look away and proceed with his lunch, but his heart told him just look at her one last time. Diana was sitting almost parallel from Remus, her face emotionless and cynical. Mona sat beside her, laughing along with her friends, but Diana seemed to resist the fun. After Mona finished speaking, she glanced sadly at Diana, touching her shoulder. Mona mouthed something like "How are you feeling" and Diana whispered something back, her eyes fixed on the ground. Mona turned away, frowning. Continuing to poke at her food, Diana's eyes locked onto Remus's. They stared at each other for what seemed like ages, Diana's mouth twisting as she was about to cry. Remus couldn't take it anymore. The girl he loved was revolted by his own being. Remus stood up, marching towards the hallway with anger. James and Sirius were puzzled, wondering why the hell Remus would leave so suddenly without telling them. He trudged through the corridors, feeling as if he was being ripped into tiny pieces.

"Remus!" Diana called, running after him. He turned around, his chest tightening.

"I know what you going to say," Remus countered harshly. "I've hear it plenty of times. I get that you don't want to be friends with me anymore. Just please don't tell anyone-"

"Remus, would you just listen to me?" Diana yelled, her curly hair looking as if it were on fire. She inched towards him, her harsh expression softening with each step. "Yes, I know what you are. But I don't care. Remus, I…I love you."

At that moment, she pressed her lips against his, and it felt like an explosion. The warmth of her face and the softness of her skin caused his entire body to tingle. He couldn't believe what was happening. Was he dreaming? She quickly released herself from the kiss and backed away, horror on her face.

"I'm sorry! I shouldn't have done that! I literally just forced myself onto to you," she cried, pulling at her hair. Remus grabbed her back, pulling her closer. He locked his lips onto hers, showing her that he really care about her, too. The kiss wasn't too harsh, or too gentle. Everything was perfect. Breaking from the kiss, they both sighed and gazed into each others eyes. They both knew their troubles were long gone.


End file.
